Incense smoke curled inside the Hibiscus Pavilion, where a woman lay engrossed in a book on a chaise longue. Her eyes were brimming with tears, her jet-black hair was loosely draped, her skin was porcelain white, and a white dress accentuated her slender and graceful figure.
Qingci lifted the curtain and bowed to the woman on the chaise longue, frowning as she said, "Miss, the Third Miss is here again. I think it's probably about the Chrysanthemum Banquet."
Zhou Wan put down the book in her hand and said gently, "Let her in!"
Qingci protested, "Miss, you know that the Third Miss's arrival is never good, so why did you let her in? Her aunt broke your jade pendant, and it was the First Madam who revoked her qualification for the Chrysanthemum Banquet. She didn't dare to ask the First Madam for help, so she came to you instead, just to take advantage of your kind heart."
Zhou Wan frowned slightly: "You mustn't say such things again. Mother is always strict, so it's understandable that Third Sister didn't go to see her. Let Third Sister in!"
Zhou Wan was well aware that the First Madam wanted to deal with the Third Concubine, and now that she was using Zhou Wan to make the Third Concubine kneel in the ancestral hall, the Third Sister was the most restless.
As soon as Zhou Yu entered the room, she hugged Zhou Wan and complained, "Eldest sister is the kindest. Go and beg Mother to say that the jade pendant was not a gift from the Imperial Concubine, and that you made a mistake. Ask her to let me go to the Chrysanthemum Banquet next month! I had a dress specially made at Jiao Niang Pavilion and made so many preparations. It would be a real pity if I didn't go."
Zhou Wan hesitated for a moment: "Third sister, it's not that I don't want to ask Mother for help, but you know how difficult it is for us, both of us, to make a living under the rule of the legal wife. It's obvious that Mother wants to use the concubine as a scapegoat. Even if I go, it will be of no use!"
"Eldest sister, Mother punished my aunt for offending you, and used that as an excuse to disqualify me from the Chrysanthemum Banquet. If you just tell Mother that the jade pendant was not a gift from the Imperial Concubine and that you made a mistake, that will be fine."
Zhou Wan sneered inwardly. "Third sister, you've really got a good plan." If she were to rush in now, wouldn't she be walking right into the line of fire?
Zhou Zhilan smiled gently: "Third sister, I'll give it a try. If Mother doesn't agree, don't blame me."
"Thank you, big sister! You're the kindest person I know!"
After Zhou Yu left, Qingci asked, utterly bewildered, "Miss, Madam went to great lengths to punish Third Madam and disqualify Third Miss from participating. Why did you agree to plead with First Madam? Wouldn't all your previous efforts have been wasted?"
Zhou Wan curled her lips into a cold smile, the gentleness in her eyes gone: "Who said I would go and beg the First Madam? It's just for show."
Everyone knows that Zhou Wan is beautiful, kind-hearted, and compassionate. She just went through the motions to beg the First Madam to spare the Third Concubine. Who knows what she will say to the First Madam?
Zhou Wan had long disliked Zhou Yu and, taking advantage of her mother's favor, had repeatedly snatched things from her.
How could she easily carry the jade pendant bestowed upon her by the Imperial Concubine? It was just a fabrication. I didn't expect that Wednesday would actually be so cunning. If she were to plead for mercy now and say that the jade pendants were mixed up, wouldn't she be the one punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall?
Zhou Yu wasn't worried at all that the young lady would resort to tricks, because Zhou Wan always granted requests.
When Zhou Yu returned to the courtyard, he found that Gu Nanjiao and Lü Siniang had already left.
Zhou Yu, glaring at him, asked, "Where is he?"
The maid who had previously told Gu Nanjiao and the others to get lost answered tremblingly, "Miss, they're gone!"
"Who let them leave? The people from Jiaoniang Pavilion are so rude."
The maidservant shuddered and added fuel to the fire, saying, "Miss, that woman was extremely arrogant and rude. When she saw you leave, she left without even turning her head, and said she would never do business with you again."
Zhou Yu, who was already displeased, became even more furious upon hearing this: "How dare the little Jiaoniang Pavilion act so high and mighty! Asking them to make clothes is doing them a favor, they really don't know what's good for them."
"That's right, that's right. Miss, you can't let them get away with this in the future. Even the eldest young lady doesn't dare to do anything to you. They just left without even saying goodbye."
...
Gu Nanjiao had just finished talking with the manager of Yunshang Pavilion when she was attracted by a piece of fabric on the shelf as she went out.
The fabric shimmered in the sunlight, like rippling water, its texture as light as a misty valley and as thin as a cicada's wing.
Manager Yun stepped forward and introduced, "This is Fuguang Brocade, from the Suzhou area, and there is only one of its kind."
Gu Nanjiao remembered that the Floating Light Brocade was only used as tribute to the imperial family and nobles; ordinary officials and their families could not afford it at all, and a single bolt was worth a thousand gold pieces.
She couldn't help but marvel at how capable the manager of Yunshang Pavilion was, managing to obtain such a thing.
"If only there were ordinary fabrics to replace the shimmering brocade, then ordinary families could also wear clothes that are sparkling and as thin as a cicada's wing."
Gu Nanjiao remembered that many modern garments were made of fabrics similar to the ancient "Floating Light Brocade," incredibly soft and thin as a cicada's wing, and most importantly, inexpensive. If only she could replicate a fabric like Floating Light Brocade!
As soon as Gu Nanjiao finished speaking, she heard a sneer.
A maid in green said disdainfully, "Shopkeeper, do you think just anyone can come in here?"
"Qingci, do not be rude!" A gentle female voice rang out.
The maidservant snorted coldly and stood aside, looking at Gu Nanjiao with disdain and scrutiny.
Gu Nanjiao felt this scene was very familiar. It was like the gentle female voice that came from the carriage when she first entered the city gate. At that time, she had also said the same thing: "Qingci, do not be rude."
Manager Yun was a little embarrassed. Gu Nanjiao had come to discuss business, not to buy anything.
Besides, even if the customers are poor, it's not right for them to just turn away their customers! After all, they're running a business, and it wouldn't be fair to do that.
Manager Yun quickly explained, "This is the manager of Jiao Niang Pavilion, who is cooperating with my Yunshang Pavilion. He has come to discuss business with me."
Zhou Wan glanced at Gu Nanjiao. She was dressed plainly, with only a hairpin in her hair. Seeing that she was wearing a veil, she assumed that Gu Nanjiao was ugly and dared not show her face.
She said softly, "The maid was very rude just now, please don't take offense, madam."
They said they shouldn't take offense, but their actions showed no reaction whatsoever.
Before Gu Nanjiao could answer, Zhou Wan looked at the fabrics in the shop and her eyes were drawn to the shimmering brocade.
"This... must be the Floating Light Brocade."
The shop assistant quickly stepped forward and replied, "Miss has a good eye. This is the extremely rare 'Floating Light Brocade' from the Suzhou area. Yunshang Pavilion only has one of these."
Zhou Wan glanced at it twice and then looked away. Although she was the eldest daughter of the Minister's mansion, she was still a concubine's daughter, and the brocade was not something she could afford to wear.
Seeing that there were guests present, Gu Nanjiao greeted Manager Yun and left.
After she left, Qingci said sarcastically to Manager Yun, "Yunshang Pavilion is a top-notch clothing workshop. It's not afraid of lowering its status by cooperating with small workshops."
Zhou Wan tugged at Qingci: "Don't say any more. If you say another word, you can go back."
He was uttering reprimanding words, but his tone carried no hint of blame.
Manager Yun could only stand awkwardly to the side; what could he say to someone from the Minister's mansion? But this Miss Zhou was far too lenient. The maid had spoken so arrogantly, yet she had let her off lightly, unwilling to punish her.
Qingci stuck out her tongue and pointed to the beige ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) on the wooden doll (mannequin), saying, "Miss, what do you think of this dress? If you wore it to the Chrysanthemum Banquet, you would definitely be stunning. At that time, the Fifth Prince..."
Zhou Wan blushed slightly: "I just don't know if my cousin will like it."
The Fifth Prince is the son of Consort Yue, so it is perfectly acceptable for her to call him her cousin.
Qingci couldn't help but tease, "How could the Fifth Prince not like what Miss chose?"
Zhou Wan smiled shyly: "Shopkeeper, make one exactly the same as mine."
Manager Yun nodded in agreement, his heart filled with mixed emotions: He had just looked down on Jiaoniang Pavilion, but now he had taken a liking to the clothes designed by Gu Nanjiao.
...
As soon as Gu Nanjiao returned to Jiaoniang Pavilion, an uninvited guest arrived at the shop.
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